Lamp bos



C. vDE F. SMITH.

LAMP BOX.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 30| l9l5 Patented Jan. 3, 1922.

UNITE@ TA'tlES CLAUDE :DE E. SMITH, vDE? PRTL.li'll OREGON, ASSIGNOR T70 SMITH SGNAL CORPO- RATION, F NEVI YGRK, 52'., A CORERLTIN 0F DE JAVARE LAMP BOX.

inoaioo.;

Application led November' To all whom t may concern: i

Be it known that l, @muon Dn F. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Portland, in the county of Muitnomah and State of Oregon, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Lamp Boxes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to illuminated signs, and more especially to vlamp boxes having perforated faces; and the object o1" the same is to produce a simple and convenient signal box for automobiles and the like which is practicallyT inaccessible to dirt and` yet wherein the parts can be readily disconnect* ed to replace or vrepair a bulb.

Another' and important object of my present invention is to provide for the giving of signals from a moving vehicle in city thoroughi'ai'es or other roadways so that similar signs or signals may be transmitted simultaneously and eiiiectually from a point on the vehicle, the disposition of the signal being such that it may be readily viewed trom almost any point in the front of the vehicle and through a large range of vision from the rear of the vehicle. In the accomplishment of this object of my invention l provide a signal lamp which consists or" front and rear signal means each provided with a series oi indicia or sign words, the front and rear sign means being duplicate, and the sign words or signal media being arranged on opposite sides of the lantern so as to provide for the illumination at the .iront and rear of the given indicia to cause similar Signs to be displayed and to provide for the selective illumination of any one of the set of duplicate signs. llVhile my present invention content plates a traffic signal it is particularly adaptable ior use upon automobiles or other vehicles, and when mounted upon the left hand side of the body of the vehicle in a plane somewhat above the mud guards of the same and preferably located toward the rear left corner of the vehicle body my sign is especially capable of being read through a large range of view Jfrom the front, left side, and the rear.

A further object of the invention is to provide for the efficient display of signs Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 3, 1922. eo, 1915. semina. 64,289.

through means normally dormant and adapted to be selectively illuminated, the said means consisting of transparent or translucent media between which there is preferably disposed a barrier to prevent the passage or transmissio'nof light from one side of the lamp to the other, and this eliminates possible confusion of the signs by reason of the transmission of rays from one side to the other.

The inventionconsists broadly in two telescopic members, the outer being attached to the supporting means and the inner having cells in which are disposed electric lights or bulbs, and the stenciled side plates and glass panels are removably held between these members when the latter are assembled. Details are set forth below and shown in the drawings wherein:

Figure l is a side elevation of this lamp partly broken away and with one corner in section.

Figure 2 is a vertical section on the line 2-2 ot Figure l with the two members slightly moved from their assembled position.

Figure 3 is a perspective detail of the outer member or casing.

Figure 4L is a perspective detail of the inner member.

The outer member of this lamp box which may well be called the casing, is by preference made ot sheet metal suitably treated to prevent rust, and comprises a top l from whose extremities depend integral end panels 2, each having a pair ol holes 3 near its lower end, and i'langes 4l and 5 extend around the edges of these three panels and the lower extremities of the end flanges are preferably beveled as at 6. The support is herein shown as a short section of pipe 7 connected with a floor plate 8 which is screwed or riveted as at 9 to the top panel l, and' the upper end of the pipe may be attached in any suitable manner to an overhead element such as the tender, or may in fact be bent at an angle and attached to the side of an automobile body.

The inner member is divided by partitions as explained below so as to produce cells, and may Vwell therefore be called the cellular member. lt also is by preference made ot sheet metal, and comprises a top panel l1, two end panels or walls 12, and a bottom panel or wall 13 which, as seen in Figure 2, may be of double thickness with the'side edges of the two thicknesses turned up into inner and outer flanges 14 and 15. Horizontal partitions 16 connect the end walls 12, and two of these partitions are herein shown which will produce three compartments or cells 17. By preference a vertical wall or partition 18 also connects the end walls and crosses the horizontal partitions at their centers so as to sub-divide the cells as shown. Where these several walls and partitions intersect, they may be connected in any suitable manner, and the side edges of the top ll and the two horizontal partitions may be bent into anges 19 if desired. The wldth of these horizontal parts, is the same as that of the inner or upper bottom wall, and this is slightly less than the distance between the inner faces of the two flanges 5, 5; whereas thel width of the outer bottom wall is the same as the width of one end panel of the outer casing, and its fianges 15 stand in the same plane as the flanges 5 andare by preference beveled at their extremities-fas shown I do not wish to be limited to the illuminating means, but as probably the most modern and convenient I preferably employ electric bulbs T removably engaged with sockets S which are bolted as seen'at B to opposite sides of the upright partition 18, and wires W lead from the various bulbs to an insulating nipple N in the bottom of the inner member, and thence through a source: of electricity and a switch within reach of the driver, these latter features being wellknown and not necessary to illustrate.

Between the two members of the lamp box thus described, and at each side thereof, is mounted a metal plate 20 having words stenciled through it as shown at 21 in Figure 1, and outside the plate a sheet of glass 22, the lower ends of these two elements resting in the channel between the flanges 14 and 15, the plate resting against the ends of the horizontal partitions 16 (or their flanges 19 if the latter are emplo yed) and the glass overlying the plate an its edges standing behind the flanges 5 and 15. To assemble the parts of this lamp box the stencil lates and glasses are laid against both si es of the cellular member with their lower edges between its flanges, their upper edges are borne inward against the edges of the top 11 and held in one hand, and the outer casing is held in the other hand if, indeed, it be not sufficiently supported from overhead as at 7. The upper end of the inner member is thenpassed into the lower end of the outer member, and the inner member slid or pushed bodily inward, carrying the stencil plates and glasses with it as will be seen from Figure 2, until the parts reach the position shown in Figure 1,

at which time the beveled ends 6 of the flanges 15 will come into close conta'ct with the beveled ends 6 of the flanges 5. Screws 3 are now passed inward through the holes 3 and into other holes 12 in the end walls 12 of the inner member; 'and if the* metal of the latter be rather thin these holes may be surrounded by bosses 13 or the metal otherwise made thicker at this point as seen in Figure 2. The screws connect the two members and hold them in this position, and the wires W lead throu h the nipple N and out the bottom of the Iamp box. To gain access to the interior, as for replacing a burned out bulb, the screws are withdrawn and the inner member slid downward from within the outer member. y As soon as the glass plates and stencils have been disengaged from the lower ends ofthe flanges 5 ofthe outer member, they fall or can be taken out of place and the operator gains immediate access to the cells 17. Also I have shown the stencils as solid plates with openings for the letters forming the words, and the glass panels as overlying the' stencils whereby the color of the glass is shown through the letters; but in these respects I reserve the broadest rights possible. The matter of the wiring forms no part of the present invention, but by preference I lead the wires through the bottom of the removable member so that when this member is taken out of the fixed member the 'flexibility of the wires is useful in a manner which will be clear. rlhe words Left, Right and Stop indicated herewith are those most useful when the lamp box is employed as an automobile signal, and I would not be limited in this respect. Finally, while I refer that the mipport shall be connectel with the outer member, it need not be attached to the top panel thereof and its shape and details of construction are unimportant.

IVhat I claim is:

1. In a lamp box, the combination with an outer substantially U-shaped member having closed top and end panels with flanges around their edges; of an inner member'of a size to fit telescopically within the outer member, inner and outer fiangesjalong the side edges of its bottom, the outer flanges alining with the flanges on the outer member, lighting means within the inner member, and sign plates removably held between the inner and outer members and inside the flanges of the latter and between the fianges on said bottom.

2. In a lamp box, the combination with an outer member having closed top and end panels with flanges around their edges; of an inner member having bottom and end panels and of a size to fit telescopically within the outer member, flanges along the edges of its bottom, lighting means within the inner member, plates removably held llt) between the inner and outer members and inside said flanges of the latter and provided with illuminated signs, and detachable fastening means between the end panels of said members.

3. In a lamp box, the combination with an outer member having top and end panels with flanges around their edges; of an inner member having top, bottom, and end panels and of a size to fit telescopically within the outer member, said top and bottom having flanges along their side edges, electric lighting means within the inner member, wires leading therefrom through the bottom of this member, sign plates removably held between said flanges of the outer and inner members, and detachable fastening means passing through the ends of the outer member and into the ends of the inner member.

Ll. In a lamp box, the combination with an outer member having top and end panels and flanges along their edges; of an inner member telescopically insertable into the outer member and including top and bottom panels and end walls, a divisional panel connecting said walls and of the same width as said top and bottom panels, sign plates removably held between the flanges and the edges of said top, bottom, and divisional panels, and detachable fastening means between tho two members.

5. In a lamp box, the combination with an outer member having top and end panels and flanges along the side edges of the latter, and a support for this member; of an inner member ztelescopically insertable into the outer member from below and including top and bottom panels. and end walls, and horizontal partitions connecting said walls and of the same width as said top and bottom panels, the partitions producing cells, illuminating means within said cells, a flexible conveyer for the illuminant fluid passing through said bottom to such means, plates removably held between the flanges and the edges of said top, bottom, and partitions, and detachable fastening means between the two members.

6. In a lamp box, the combination with an outer member having top and end panels and flanges along the side edges of the latter, and a support for this member, of an inner member telescopically insertable into the outer member from below and including top and bottom panels and end walls, and horizontal partitions connecting said walls and of the same width as said top and bottom panels, the partitions producing cells, illuminating means within said cells, detachable fastening means for holding said inner and outer members when assembled, and at each side of the lamp box a stencil plate and overlying it a glass plate both held inside said flanges and against the edges of said partitions.

7. In a lamp box, the combination with a substantially U-shaped outer member having its sides and bottom open, and a support for this member, of stencil plates removably closing the open sides of such member, an inner member removably insertable into the bottom of the open member and between said plates, horizontal partitions within this member whose edges lie inside said plates and which partitions divide the member into cells, an upright partition within this member crossing said horizontal partitions and sub-dividing said cells, detachable means for holding these members when assembled, and an illuminating device in each subdivision of the cells.

8. 1n an automobile signal, the combina- `tion with a substantially U-shaped outer member having its sides and bottom open, and a support for this member; of stencil plates removably closing the open sides of such member, an inner member removably insertable into the bottom of the open member and between said plates, horizontal partitions within this member whose edges lie inside said plates and which partitions divide the member into cells, an upright partition within this member crossing said horizontal partitions and subdividing said cells, detachable means for holding these members when assembled, and an illuminating Vdevice in each sub-division of the cells adapted to show to the front and to the rear,- whereby, when the signal is attached to the rear left hand side of an automobile, a spectator can read the signal from the rear or from the front of the automobile.

9. A signal lamp having a casing structure open at opposite faces and at the bottom, a box telescopically fitting the casing and also open at opposite sides corresponding to the casing-openings, sign-forming members carried by the box and covering the open sides thereof, said members having duplicate series of separate signs, a series of pairs of lamps mounted in the box, one pair of lamps for each pair of similar signs, partitions dividing the box into front and rear chambers, and shelves subdividing the chambers into a series of parallel compartments one for each sign.

10. In an automobile signal the combination with an outer casing member having its sides and bottom open, the sides having flanges, of an inner structure removably insertable into the bottom of the outer member, sign plates interposed between the flanges of the open sides of said member and said structure, horizontal partitions in this structure whose outer edges lie between said sign plates and which partitions divide the structure into cells, upright means partitioning and subdividing said cells, means for detachably holding said member and structure assembled, and an illuminating In testimony whereof I affix my signature device in each subdivision of the cells in presence of two Witnesses. adapted t0 show to the front and to the rear, whereby, when the si nal is attached CLAUDE DE F' SMITH' 5 to the rear left hand side 0 an automobile, Witnesses:

a spectator can read the si al from the CHAs. E. MORGAN,

rear or from the front of t e automobile. GRACE D. ELERATH. 

